Age Recommendation
Rock tumblers are recommended for ages 12 and up with close adult supervision. |
Kids really enjoy rock tumbling. They love creating tumbled gemstones, discovering the mystery of
what happens in the tumbler barrel and always anticipate the day when the barrel will be opened.
Kids can learn a lot from rock tumbling. They will learn science lessons about rocks and mechanical weathering. They might also learn about making jewelry and using tumbled stones in crafts. However, the most important lessons might be those of "patience" and "following instructions carefully".
Adult Supervision is Required
Rock tumbling involves using electricity, carefully following instructions and using a
machine with a motor and moving parts. Some tasks, such as opening a tumbler barrel may require
strength and dexterity that is beyond the abilities of a child. Also, operating a tumbler includes the responsibility of checking it a couple times per day to be sure it is operating properly.
Close adult supervision is required to do the activity safely and to obtain good results.
Rock tumbling provides a great opportunity to do something fun and educational with a child.
Take advantage of that. Sharing your time with a child can be the most important gift you can give. It is likely that you will enjoy the activity as much as the child does!
If you purchase a rock tumbler for a child be sure that you or another responsible adult (who is
enthusiastic about doing this activity with the child) is available to supervise and participate
in every step of the tumbling process. See our "instructions for rock tumbling" to learn about what
is involved.
Small Machines with Electric Motors:
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This is the Lortone 3A rotary tumbler - the machine that we most highly recommend for use with a child. The motor, belt and other moving parts are protected by the blue case. The barrel is made from a soft rubber and is one of the easier tumbler barrels to open. |
Rock tumblers are small machines with electric motors and moving parts. Adults should closely supervise
children to be sure that they are cautious about electricity and the moving parts of the machine.
The rock tumbler is going to run for a month at a time and should be located where small children and pets will not disturb it. Many people run their
tumbler in a closet, a basement, a garage or a shed where it will not be disturbed. Be sure to place it
where you can easily check on it at least a couple times per day and where the noise will not be a disturbance.
Following Instructions:
The rock tumbling process has several steps that must be followed carefully for successful results. Continuous
adult supervision is needed to be sure that the tumbler is filled properly; grits are carefully measured; used in
specific sequences; rocks and barrels are cleaned thoroughly; and tumbler mud is not poured down a drain. These
are just a few of the tasks that should be either done by the adult or done by the child with adult supervision.
| Not pouring used grit and tumbler mud down a drain is an important part of the instructions. A supervising adult will be sure that these instructions are followed. |
Recommended Tumblers for Kids:
The two tumblers that we feel are best for use with a child are the Lortone 3A and Lortone 33B tumblers. Both of these machines are built with a blue rectangular case that covers the motor
and most of the moving parts. This design reduces the chances of a child or a pet coming into contact with a moving part,
spilling something onto the motor or disturbing the tumbler while it is operating.
The Lortone 3A and Lortone 33B barrels are easier
to open and close than any other rotary tumbler barrel that we sell - however, some children will not be strong enough to open them. These tumblers are also very reliable. We sell very few replacement parts for Lortone
tumblers and that attests to their quality.
We believe that the Thumler's MP-1, Thumler's A-R1 and Thumler's A-R2 machines are also good tumblers for use with a child under close adult supervision. (We didn't give these tumblers our top children's recommendation because they have more exposed moving parts
and the barrels require strong hands and a little practice to open and close.)
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This is the Thumler's A-R2 rotary tumbler. It has two small capacity barrels that tumble about two pounds of rock each. If you have two kids this will allow each child to have his/her own barrel. Or, if you have one child then you can have a barrel too! |
Thumler's machines run quietly, produce nice tumbled stones and are very easy to use. We own two A-R2
tumblers and have tumbled many batches of rock in them. They have given us years of great service, lots of fun and plenty
of nice gemstones.
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If an adult asks us: "I am new to this hobby, which tumbler should I purchase?" We will recommend a small-capacity tumbler
such as the Lortone 3A and 33B tumblers or the Thumler's A-R1 and A-R2 machines.
These tumblers have a low initial cost and low operating cost. They are also durable machines that will last a long time. You can purchase a small tumbler - with supplies - for about
$100. However, a large capacity tumbler can cost over $200 and require over $100 worth of rough and supplies to
run at proper capacity.
We suggest buying a small tumbler to try rock tumbling. You might decide that a small tumbler is all that you need. If you don't continue with the hobby your loss is small and you have a nice beginner's machine to give away. If you decide to buy a larger machine you still have a nice small machine to experiment with, use with your nephew, give to a friend or use to polish small batches of special materials.
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This is the Thumler's A-R2 rotary tumbler. It has two small capacity barrels that tumble about two pounds of rock each. A two barrel tumbler allows you to tumble two different types of rock at the same time or two barrels of rock at two different stages in the tumbling process. It is also a great tumbler for two people to share. |
Intermediate-Size Machines
If you want to take the middle ground between a beginner's machine and a larger machine you might consider the Lortone 45C or the Lortone QT6. These machines are a little larger, have an intermediate
price tag and work great. Our favorite tumbler is the Lortone QT6. It tumbles about four pounds of rough rock and makes minimal noise.
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This is the Lortone QT6 rotary tumbler. It is an intermediate-size machine that is very easy to use and very durable. The barrel is made from a soft rubber and it runs with a minimal amount of noise. |
Large-Capacity Tumblers
We believe that rotary tumblers with a barrel capacity of four pounds or more should be used only by adults or by teenagers
who have tumbling experience. These machines are the Lortone QT6, Lortone QT66 and Lortone QT12 and the Thumler's A-R6 and Thumler's A-R12 tumblers.
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This is the Lortone QT12 rotary tumbler. It is a large-capacity tumbler that can process about eight pounds of rock at a time. This is a great tumbler for anyone who is able to collect their own rough, can afford to purchase their rough or who wants to process a lot of material. |
Recommended for the "Mechanically Inclined":
We really like vibratory tumblers. If you read our article about the Lot-o-Tumbler you should be able to tell how much we
enjoy using it. However, vibratory tumblers are trickier to operate than rotary tumblers - you need just the right amount of water, just the right amount of abrasive and then keep a close eye on them while they are
running. We didn't get great results right away - it took a little experimentation - but it was really worth the work once we
figured it out. Be prepared to experiment!
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This is the two barrel Lot-o-Tumbler. It is a large-capacity vibratory tumbler. Vibratory tumblers are wonderful machines for rapidly processing lots of tumbled stones. However, they require some learning and patience to get good results and they make a little more noise than a rotary tumbler. |
If you buy a Lot-o-Tumbler it must be glued to the floor or to something really heavy like a concrete block to keep it from
walking across the floor. All of this glue and experimentation is a bit more than anyone who doesn't have a passion for
tumbled stones might want to do. However, if you are not afraid of the work and gluing a $200 machine to a concrete block
then a vibratory tumbler might give you a lot of enjoyment!
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